1. Technical Field
This invention is related to a the art of providing a channeled substrate with a porous washcoat comprising .gamma.-alumina for use as a support for an exhaust gas catalyst.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Automotive catalytic converters are employed to catalyze desired reactions of exhaust gases that pass through the converter. These converters generally comprise a honeycomb ceramic substrate coated with a washcoat of .gamma.-alumina impregnated with a catalyst. According to a current method for providing the washcoat on the substrate, it is repeatedly dipped in a suspension of .gamma.-alumina, baria, and ceria to form a coating which is subsequently calcined at an elevated temperature. Initial dippings of the substrate cause large amounts of washcoat to settle in the corners of the honeycomb channels. Additional dippings result in substantially narrowed channels which become circular in shape. The alumina in the corners is not accessible to the exhaust gases during converter operation and hence serves no use to the catalyst. Further, the channels are significantly narrowed. During converter use, this narrowing of the channels is sufficient to cause a back pressure within the converter. This back pressure has a marked detrimental impact on the operation of the converter in that it impedes the flow of the exhaust gases through the converter.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages described above by providing such a washcoat from a reactive mixture made from components comprising a particular aluminum alkoxide. On such alkoxide, i.e., aluminum tris(sec-butoxide), is disclosed as being useful to make membrane films by a sol/gel technique in "Porous Alumina Membranes", A. Leenaars, K. Keizer and A. Burggraaf, Chemtech , September, 1986, p. 560-564. The membrane films are disclosed as being useful for separating materials, e.g., hydrogen or helium from other gases. No disclosure is made therein to use the aluminum tris(sec-butoxide) in a washcoat on a channeled substrate as an exhaust gas conversion catalyst support.